


On Dragon's Wings

by PrincessMariana



Series: PM's Flufftober 2020 [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe, Batfamily (DCU), Cuddling & Snuggling, Dragon AU, Fluff, Flufftober, Flufftober 2020, Gen, batfam becomes dragonfam, no editing we die like robins, thats right
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:55:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26892532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessMariana/pseuds/PrincessMariana
Summary: The batfam are dragons. Dick, Jason, and Tim have been looking after each other for years. When they find Damian, a lost hatchling, they promise to bring Damian back to his father. They didn't expect to get attached to the tiny brat. (Tim did, but no one listens to Tim.) Also, Bruce is not pleased that the three young dragons are on their own, without a home. (Typical Bruce.)Written for Flufftober, Day 6: Quicksilver
Relationships: Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson
Series: PM's Flufftober 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951447
Comments: 92
Kudos: 475
Collections: Flufftober2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It took me way too long to figure how to write something that involved quicksilver. Hopefully this works. It was either this, or a weird fic about werewolves. (Because quickSILVER. Get it? Haha.) But I like giving Bruce wings, so dragons it is. 
> 
> Chapter 2 should be up tomorrow.

Dick was stirring a pot of stew above the makeshift fire when Tim came flying into their temporary cave. He changed into his human form mid-landing.

“What wrong?” Dick said, fearing the worst. Jason wasn’t with him, and, as often as the two fought, they always stayed near each other.

Tim panted on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “…Came here…as fast…as…I could. Jason…baby dragon…by…the creek.”

“Shit,” Dick said. He abandoned the stew. “Stay here and hide if anything shows up.”

Tim flapped a hand. “I…know…the drill.”

Dick transformed as he leapt of the cave ledge, his wings unfurling to catch the wind. He didn’t like to expose their nature so blatantly, for fear of hunters, but Jason was in trouble. Dick had to move quickly.

The creek where Jason and Tim had been scavenging wasn’t too far from the cave. As Dick flew over, he spotted Jason’s bright red scales immediately. Jason’s wings were spread wide, in an aggressive gesture, and he was puffing smoke at…something. Dick landed next to his brother and saw that the something was a small, black dragon, barely a few decades old.

Dick changed back to his human form. “Jason, it’s just a baby.”

 _“It attacked us!”_ Jason hissed irritably in his native dragon-tongue, but he stepped back and folded down his wings.

The tiny dragon snarled as Dick came closer, opening his mouth as if to breathe fire, but only wisps of smoke came out. “We won’t hurt you,” Dick said. He kept his palms up in a nonthreatening gesture. “My brothers were just frightened.”

 _“We were not-!”_ Jason began indignantly.

“Jason,” Dick said sharply, and Jason fell silent.

The baby dragon continued its attempts to breathe fire. Its eyes kept flicking between Dick and Jason. It obviously did not trust Jason. “Jay, go back to the cave,” Dick said.

“ _But_ -”

“We can’t leave a hatchling here alone,” Dick said. “And Tim shouldn’t be left by himself. It isn’t safe.”

“ _Fine,”_ Jason said grumpily. _“Don’t do anything stupid. It bites.”_

“Yeah, yeah.”

When Jason flew off, the baby dragon visibly relaxed. It stopped trying to breathe fire, though still eyed Dick warily. Dick sat on the ground, cross-legged. “That was my brother, Jason,” Dick said in a soothing voice. “He’s very protective of our younger brother, Tim, who was here earlier, but we won’t hurt you. I promise.”

Dick slowly outstretched his hand, and the baby dragon cautiously crept forward and sniffed it. “See?” Dick said. “Not going to hurt you.”

The dragon nuzzled Dick’s hand, and Dick couldn’t help but coo. “Aw, you’re adorable!”

It gave Dick a resentful look. Jason had often looked at Dick like that, when Jason had been a tiny hatchling. “Sorry, sorry, you’re fierce,” Dick said, petting the dragon’s head. “I’m sure you’ll one day be the terror of the skies. I’m Dick, by the way. Do you have a name?”

The hatchling hissed something in a language that Dick didn’t understand, which was rare for him. Quicksilver dragons were naturally nomadic. Dick had picked up many human and dragon languages while traveling the world with his parents and their flight, before they’d died. Dick found it concerning that this hatchling’s language was so foreign to Dick. Either Dick and his brothers were deeper in uncharted lands than they’d thought, or the hatchling was very lost. Dick hoped it was the latter.

“Sorry, could you repeat that?” Dick said. “I don’t speak your language.”

The dragon huffed indignantly and drew back. With a fluttering of wings, the hatchling changed into a young boy, around ten in human years. The hatchling glared at Dick and crossed his arms of his chest. “My name is Damian, descendant of the Wayne and al Ghul flights.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Dick said. He didn’t have the heart to tell the boy he’d never heard of the Wayne or al Ghul flights. “Are your parents nearby?”

“No, I-” Damian’s mouth snapped shut, as if he’d just realized the danger of telling a stranger that he was alone. “But my father will find me soon,” he finished, deflating.

“Would you like to stay with my family until he does?” Dick said. “It isn’t safe to be alone out here.”

“I can take care of myself!” Damian snapped. “My father is the fiercest warrior, and his blood runs through my veins.”

“Alright, but maybe you’d like to keep me company? I was just finishing a stew, and I love meeting new dragons,” Dick said. “You could spend the night with us, and then we could help you find your father in the morning.”

Damian had perked up at the mention of food, but his eyes narrowed. “What flight do you belong to? Who is your head?”

Usually, Dick avoided this question. He and his brothers were vulnerable enough without broadcasting it. But Damian seemed harmless enough. Dick just hoped Damian’s father wouldn’t attack first, ask questions later. “You’ve already met them. It’s just me, Jason, and Tim,” Dick said. “I guess I’m the head of our flight, but we’re too small to really care about such things.”

“Oh,” Damian said. “That is…acceptable. I will rest with your flight tonight.”

Dick beamed. “Great!” 

+++

“Told you so, Tim,” Jason said, when Dick and Damian landed in the cave.

Tim rolled his eyes. “I never disagreed with you.”

Dick’s brothers were in human form and were already eating the stew. “We saved you some,” Jason said. “Both of you. It’s so typical that you found another stray.”

“I think you found him this time,” Dick said. “Besides, he’s only staying with us until we find his father.”

“Uh-huh,” Jason said and exchanged a knowing looking with Tim. Dick stubbornly ignored it.

“So what kind of dragon are you?” Tim asked while Dick and Damian ate.

Damian looked at him suspiciously. “Why do you want to know?”

“We’re not allowed to be curious?” Jason snapped.

Dick quickly stepped in. “We’re new to this area,” Dick explained to Damian. “I’ve never seen a dragon with scales as dark as yours before.”

“I am a vespertilio,” Damian said after a moment of hesitation. “What…what kind are you?”

“I’m a quicksilver, depending on the region,” Dick said. “Jason’s a muspell. He comes from a land filled with volcanoes and fire. Tim’s an aeolus. His people live in the clouds. Are you from this area? I’m not familiar with vespertilios.”

“My father defends these mountains from intruders. My mother’s flight left almost century ago,” Damian said. 

“So it’s just you and your father?” Dick said. He was tactful enough not to ask about Damian’s mother.

“Yes. My father is a strong warrior and does not need a flight to secure his land,” Damian said pridefully.

“It will be interesting to meet him,” Dick said.

“Yeah, until we’re kicked out,” Jason said irritably. “Again.”

Dick shared Jason’s concerns. While Dick was used to travelling without a permanent home, Jason and Tim required more stability. With the lack of dragons or hunters in the area, Dick had hoped that, maybe, they could make a home here. It didn’t sound like Damian’s father would be receptive to three dragons intruding on his land.

But Dick would fly over that hill when they reached it.

+++

Damian, Dick learned, had been lost for over two weeks. It took a lot of coaxing before Damian admitted the whole story. He been captured by enemies of his father, and when he’d escaped, he couldn’t find his way back home. He couldn’t even tell Dick the general direction of his father’s cave. So, the one night that Damian was supposed to stay turned into another night, and then a week, and then a few months.

“I knew it,” Jason said on week three. “The brat’s never leaving.”

Fortunately, Damian’s snarling and snapping fit right in with Tim and Jason’s constant bickering. At first, Dick had kept on eye on the younger dragons, in case things became violent, but Damian, like Jason, was more bark than bite. Jason and Damian often blew smoke at each other when agitated, and Damian and Tim would wrestle, but there was never bloodshed.

It was nice, having another dragon with them. Quicksilvers were very social creatures. As a nomadic people, there was safety in numbers.

“You’re getting too attached,” Tim quietly told Dick one day. “Unlike us, he has something to return to.”

Dick avoided Tim’s worried eyes. “It’ll be fine.”

“He’s obnoxious and arrogant, but I think he’s growing on Jason and me too,” Tim admitted. “Jason’s going to get all huffy after Damian leaves.”

“And you?” Dick said. He placed a comforting hand on Tim’s shoulder. “Will you miss him too?”

Tim sighed. “Against my better judgement.”

+++

A few days after Dick’s conversation with Tim, they were woken by a roar.

Dick’s tiny flight was exhausted from flying in stormy weather. Damian had had to ride on Jason’s back for part of it, when his wings couldn’t handle the wind anymore. When they’d found the cave, they immediately nestled in to sleep for the night, forgoing dinner.

Jason was the warmest and largest, so he always was at the center of their sleep pile. Damian slept tucked under Dick’s wing, and Tim was sprawled against Jason’s side. At the sound of the roar, Jason used the bulk of his body and raised wings as a barrier against anything that would come through the cave entrance. Dick kept Damian safely under his wing and covered Tim with his other wing, for good measure. Both hatchlings squirmed uncomfortably against Dick, but Dick ignored them.

They felt more than heard the next roar. The cave shook from the force, causing dust to cascade over them. The enemy dragon had to be closer now.

“Jason,” Dick said as softly as he could. “Take these two deeper into the cave. I’ll lead the dragon away from here. When it’s gone, get as far away from here as you can. I’ll find you later.”

“Hell, no!” Jason hissed.

“I’m the fastest. Quicksilver, remember? And you’re the strongest, so you’ll be their best shot if he corners you.”

Jason glared at Dick with fiery red eyes. “This is a stupid plan.”

“All my best ones are.”

Dick didn’t give Damian and Tim time to complain. Jason’s wings were big enough to easily shepherd the two down one of the dark tunnels. Dick waited for them to be out of sight, and then he darted out of the cave.

Quicksilvers weren’t called that because of their silvery color. They earned their name by being the fastest dragon race. A fully grown quicksilver could only be caught by another quicksilver. Dick wasn’t fully grown yet, but he was still fast.

As he left the cave, Dick saw a dragon, with scales as dark as Damian’s, flying overhead. The dragon was massive, easily twice the size of Jason. Dick didn’t have a chance of beating it in a fight. He had to keep it away from his flight.

The black dragon spotted Dick immediately, and the race was on. Dick didn’t dare look back at the dragon as he flew, but he could feel the force of the dragon’s wings hitting the air. Dick might be faster, but the other dragon was stronger and would outlast him. Dick accepted that he wouldn’t escape and instead focused on getting as far from his siblings, so that they, at least, would be safe. He trusted that Jason could take care of Tim and Damian without him, even though his heart ached at the thought.

Two hours and hundreds of miles later, Dick’s wings gave out, and he fell. With weak, fluttering wings, he caught himself a few sometimes, which softened his fall, but he still crashed painfully into a grassy meadow. The black dragon landed gracefully beside him.

Dick wanted to shoot flames at his assailant, but he was too exhausted. It’d be futile anyways.

“Where is your flight?” the dragon demanded in a growl.

To Dick’s surprise, the other dragon had spoken in Dick’s native tongue. “Far away from you, now,” Dick said in the same language.

“They sent you as a distraction?” The dragon sounded outraged. “What kind of head sacrifices a _hatchling_ like that?”

“I am _not_ a hatchling anymore,” Dick snapped.

When the black dragon let out an amused puff of smoke, Dick found the energy to glare. He was too fatigued, though, to move away when the other dragon stepped closer and breathed deeply. “I smell Damian on you,” the dragon said. “If you weren’t a hatchling, I would painfully extract his location from you.”

At the mention of Damian, Dick spit a weak blast fire at the black dragon. “You’ll never find him!”

The black dragon’s wings expanded. Dick refused to show his fear as he glowered. Damian and the rest of Dick’s flight was safe. That’s all that mattered.

“I will find my son, even if I have to tear down every member of your flight myself,” the black dragon said.

“…what?” Dick said dumbly. “Your son? You’re Damian’s _father_?”

“Yes,” the black dragon said, his wings coming down.

“You’re not one of his former captors?” Dick said. “But we searched – wait. Prove it. Tell me something only Damian’s father would know. Something personal. What’s his favorite bedtime story?”

The black dragon stared at Dick for a long moment before responding, “The tale of the rainbow dragon.”

It was so out of character for a hatchling like Damian that only someone close to him could know that. Damian had reluctantly admitted to it, a few weeks after joining Dick’s flight, on a night that he couldn’t fall asleep. Jason still snickered about it, despite Dick’s warning glares.

“Oh, no,” Dick said. “We…I led you away, because I thought you’d hurt him. We’ve been looking for you for _months_.”

“Who are you?” the black dragon asked.

Dick told him the whole story about how Damian had joined their little flight and their long search.

“I’m really sorry,” Dick said after he finished.

“You were protecting my son,” the black dragon – Bruce – said gently. “I can’t hold that against you.”

“But who knows where my flight and Damian are now,” Dick said miserably.

“It’s enough to know that my son is safe and well,” Bruce said. “We’ll find them, but first, you must rest.”

“You should go on without me,” Dick protested. “The sooner you leave, the better chance you’ll have at catching their scent.”

“I won’t leave a hatchling defenseless and alone,” Bruce said.

“I can take care of myself,” Dick said and then felt a dawning sense of déjà vu. Grumpily, he added, “I’m not a hatchling.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce learns more about Dick's flight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay...so this chapter took longer to write than I thought, and I'm still not done with this fic. There will now be a chapter 3. Whoops.
> 
> Thank you to all the warm comments and kudos! Omg, I did not expect so much excitement over dragons, but I am totally here for it. :)

“I can hunt for myself,” Dick said, eying with trepidation the three dead deer that Bruce had brought.

“Hm,” Bruce hummed neutrally.

Dick shifted his wings in an obvious sign of agitation. “I don’t really eat in this form, anyways.”

“That explains your size,” Bruce said.

“What? There’s nothing wrong with my size!” Dick protested. “Quicksilvers don’t get very large.”

“Even for a quicksilver, you’re too small for a hatchling of your age,” Bruce said.

“I’m not a hatchling!” Dick said, for the hundredth time.

Bruce continued, ignoring Dick, “You rely on your human form too much.”

“My dragon side needs more food,” Dick said defensively. “It’s just easier, staying human.”

“Depriving yourself of that extra food is slowing your growth,” Bruce said. “Hatchlings should stay in their mostly dragon form until they are full grown.”

Dick hadn’t known that. He’d lost his parents and his whole flight at a young age, so he’d just…figured out how to take care of himself and then his brothers. He desperately hoped that his assumptions hadn’t caused his brothers harm.

“But how do you hide from hunters in dragon form?” Dick asked. His guilt distracted him from reminding Bruce, again, that he wasn’t a hatchling.

“Any decent flight head keeps their hatchlings far away from humans,” Bruce said.

Dick cringed, feeling small from the shame. While he wasn’t officially his flight’s head, he was the oldest, and it was his responsibility to look after the others. Especially at the beginning, he hadn’t found a way to keep everyone fed while staying away from humans. Stealing livestock was easier than hunting.

Bruce nudged Dick with his nose in the direction of the food. “Eat.”

Dick finally obeyed and ate one of the deer. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten in his dragon form.

Bruce gave him a pointed looked when Dick finished. Dick cocked his head in confusion, wondering what he’d missed or if he’d broken some kind of strange dragon etiquette rule. “They’re all for you,” Bruce said.

“But don’t you need to eat?” Dick said.

“I’ve already eaten,” Bruce said.

Dick stared at the remaining deer. Having one deer was more than he’d usually eat by himself. Normally, he would hunt for a few rabbits or a boar to turn to stew, and that would last him and his brothers a day or two. But Dick was much hungrier in his dragon form. With a sigh, he ate the two deer.

When finished, he turned back to Bruce. “So we can leave now?”

“No,” Bruce said. “You need to rest.”

Dick had slept all afternoon while Bruce had hunted. “The longer we wait, the harder it will be to find them.”

“We leave in the morning,” Bruce said.

Dick recognized the stubborn look in Bruce’s eyes. Whenever Damian got that look, it was near impossible to dissuade him. Dick doubted he’d have better luck with Damian’s father. “Fine.”

He lifted his wings, ready to take flight. “Where are you going?” Bruce said.

Dick paused. “To find a cave?”

“You don’t need a cave to sleep.”

“It’s nearing nightfall, and it’s too dangerous and cold out here,” Dick said. He’d never _not_ slept in a cave, even when his parents had been alive.

Bruce lifted a wing. “Come here.”

“It’s alright. I’ll find a cave,” Dick said, taking a step back. He wasn’t a hatchling anymore – hadn’t been one since his parents had died, really.

“Come here,” Bruce repeated. He had that stubborn look again.

Dick was tempted to just take off flying, but if Bruce was anything like Damian, Bruce would fly after him. Dick huffed indignantly but went to Bruce’s side. He made sure that he was situated under Bruce’s wing without touching Bruce. When Bruce’s wing came down over Dick, Dick’s efforts were ignored. Dick was pulled tightly against Bruce’s side.

Dick hadn’t been cuddled like this since his parents. Despite the indignity of being treating like a hatchling, it was…nice. Bruce was warm – warmer than even Jason, who was what the humans called a fire dragon. Bruce’s wing was large enough that it completely sheltered Dick from the outside. For the first time in decades, Dick felt completely safe. Nothing would attack a dragon like Bruce out here.

Dick allowed himself to relax, leaning more into Bruce. His eyes slowly closed.

+++

Flying with Bruce was oddly relaxing. When flying with his own flight, Dick would lead, constantly keeping an eye out for threats, navigating their route, and dispersing any fights between Jason and Tim. Especially after Damian had joined them, Dick also had to make sure that none of his flight accidentally separated from the group. It was a lot to manage.

But today, Dick allowed Bruce to dictate their route. With Bruce’s threatening size, Dick didn’t have to worry about possible threats. And they could _fast_. Not as fast as yesterday, thankfully, but Bruce easily kept up with Dick’s quick pace. Dick suspected that _he_ was the one slowing _Bruce_ down. Dick could just fly, without worrying about losing a sibling or finding a safe place to spend the night or controlling his speed.

Dick didn’t even notice that he was tiring until Bruce insisted on a break. When they landed, Dick curled up into an exhausted ball scales and wings. Bruce nuzzled at him, as if checking for injuries. “’m fine,” Dick said.

“You should’ve told me that you were reaching your limits,” Bruce said sternly.

Dick’s wings shifted guiltily. “I guess I didn’t notice,” he admitted.

Bruce huffed, his dark smoke hitting Dick’s scales and coating Dick in the scent of Bruce’s fire. Adult flight members often did not to other members, to scare off any aggressive dragons. Before Dick ask what Bruce was doing, since they weren’t flight mates, Bruce said, “Stay here. I’ll be back.”

Dick closed his eyes and settled in for a nap.

An hour later, Bruce was back with more deer. Dick stared at him. “We already ate.”

“You need to eat again,” Bruce said. “All of it.”

“I can’t,” Dick said. “I…we usually just eat once a day. I can’t…this is too much.”

Bruce’s stare was unrelenting. “It will give you energy. Eat.”

To Dick’s surprise, he was able to eat all four of the deer, even though he hadn’t been hungry.

“Can you fly now?” Bruce said.

Dick had never flown on a full stomach before – but to be fair, he wasn’t sure he’d ever experienced a full stomach before. “Yep,” he said anyways.

At first, they flew in silence. Dick had told Bruce stories about Damian as they’d flown previously, but Bruce seemed to be thinking deeply about something, so Dick stayed quiet.

Finally, Bruce said, “You haven’t spoken much about your flight.”

“Yes, I have,” Dick said. He hadn’t spoken about much else. All the stories involving Damian involved the rest of Dick’s flight.

“You have talked about only you nest mates,” Bruce said. “You seem to avoid any topics involving your flight elders and head.”

“Uh…”

With a dawning feeling of horror, Dick realized that he hadn’t clearly communicated to Bruce that Dick’s “nest mates” _were_ his flight. Bruce thought that his son was safe in a real flight with real protectors, not just a young – if aggressive – muspell and an even younger aeolus. Would Bruce see it as a betrayal? Would he turn on Dick? Would he stop treating Dick like hatchling?

(But Dick wanted that – _should_ want to be treated like a full-grown dragon. Dick didn’t need someone hunting for him or gently scenting him or coddling him. But it had been nice, just for a little while, to relax a little. To not worry so much.)

Unaware of Dick’s turmoil, Bruce continued, “I do not wish to…” Bruce seemed to struggle with words. “…to speak badly of you flight, but you have…shown some concerning signs.”

“Concerning signs?” Dick echoed weakly. What did that even _mean_?

Bruce growled quietly. “I’ll be blunt. First they sacrifice _you_ , a hatchling, to your probable death, which I could excuse as your own foolhardy decision. But then you show no understanding of dragon dynamics. By flying with you, you become a temporary member of my flight, and yet you are nervous when I scent you, which I do because your flight apparently does _not_. I can only smell my son and two nestmates on your scales. You wish to sleep in _caves_ – which could be quicksilver habit, _perhaps_. You are reluctant to eat the food I provide.

“Which brings up the biggest sign!” Bruce’s voice became louder with every word as his frustrations poured out. “ _The food_. You’re shocked by the quantity of food that I provide. You’re used to eating in your human form – you’re used to _being_ in your human form! An eccentric dragon may prefer that way of life, but you are a _hatchling_. An underfed, under-socialized hatchling with self-sacrificing tendencies.”

Dick cringed at the words but didn’t know how to defend himself. It wasn’t like Bruce was _wrong_.

“What in the three dragon hells of Hades is your flight _doing_?” Bruce finished with a snarl.

“I’m the head,” Dick blurted out before he could stop himself.

_“What?”_

Dick’s body was tense from the shame and the fear. “Not officially, because it’s just the three of us, but – I – it’s sorta me. I-”

 _“Land,”_ Bruce hissed.

Dick was almost thankful for the command. He struggled with flying while keeping a panic attack at bay. Once on the ground, Dick flattened his wings against himself, trying to be as small as possible under Bruce’s outspread wings.

“Why didn’t you tell me that your flight had abandoned you?” Bruce said.

“I-I-I thought y-you knew,” Dick stammered.

He felt like he had the day before, when Bruce thought Dick’s flight had stolen Damian. Except this time, Dick didn’t have any righteous anger to fight the fear. Just shame.

Dick flinched away as Bruce moved closer. Bruce sighed and lowered his wings. “I apologize, Dick. I don’t mean to frighten you. It is not you that I am angry with.”

Dick didn’t think that there were any other targets for Bruce’s rage. “My flight…they didn’t abandon me,” Dick said. “My parents and many other members of my flight were killed after an attack by another flight. The remainder of my flight couldn’t afford to keep me, so I left. I…found Jason and Tim, and they were alone too, so we…made our own flight, I guess. I’m sorry I didn’t clarify before.”

Dick waited tensely for Bruce’s verdict.

“A flight of only hatchlings,” Bruce said. He sounded more resigned than angry, which Dick took as a good sign. “My…critiques of your flight were not intended for you, little one. It is impressive that you even survived this long on your own.”

“You aren’t worried that your son isn’t with older dragons like you thought?” Dick asked timidly.

“He is probably safer with two strong hatchlings than a large flight of incompetent and cruel dragons,” Bruce said.

He blew smoke against Dick. This time, Dick leaned into the scenting. “I didn’t realize I was temporarily a part of your flight,” Dick admitted.

“Temporary?” There was an odd look in Bruce’s eyes. “Yes – it is custom when a dragon flies with a hatchling.”

“Not a hatchling,” Dick said. More comfortable now, he stretched his wings.

“A resourceful and resilient hatchling is still a hatchling,” Bruce said.

+++

They found Dick’s flight a few hours later. “Father!” Damian called in his native tongue when Bruce and Dick had been spotted.

Damian had taught Dick some of his language, and Dick easily recognized the word.

Midair, Bruce nuzzled at his son while Damian fly in circles, unable to contain his excitement. Dick almost found it funny to watch such a stoic hatchling act so joyous, but Dick was too absorbed in greeting his brother.

“You’re never doing that again,” Jason snapped, blowing smoke in Dick’s direction. “It wasn’t fun, being in charge of those two idiots.”

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t fun having _you_ in charge,” Tim said, playfully attempting to nip Jason’s wings.

All of them landed in a nearby clearing. Dick took his time checking over his brothers. He’d never been separated from them for so long. Tim cheerfully explained that Damian had recognized his father’s scent, but they hadn’t been able to catch up with Bruce and Dick. They’d been flying in the direction Dick and Bruce had gone ever since.

“That was smart,” Dick said as he nuzzled Tim’s wing, looking for tears. As a cloud dragon, he was the most delicate.

“I’m fine, Dick,” Tim said in exasperation.

Meanwhile, Jason was sizing up Bruce. “Why does Dick _stink_ of your scent?”

“Jay!” Dick snapped. “Don’t be rude.”

Bruce didn’t rise for Jason’s bait. Instead, he answered calmly, “It’s dangerous for hatchlings to be without a full-grown dragon’s scent on them. I was protecting him.”

Predictably, that just irritated Jason even more. “Dick doesn’t _need_ your protection. He’s got _us_.”

Bruce stared at Jason with the same passive calm that had driven Dick crazy at first. Now, Dick found that calm reassuring, if a bit patronizing, because it meant that Bruce wouldn’t harm a hatchling. Dick quickly moved between Bruce and Jason before Jason attempted to harm Bruce.

“Jason, it’s alright,” Dick said soothingly. “I’m fine. He isn’t going to hurt us.”

“Of course Father wouldn’t hurt you!” Damian said, stomping over. “Why are you making such accusations?”

“Oh, little D, I missed you,” Dick said, nuzzling at the baby dragon.

Damian grumbled at the affectionate behavior but tellingly didn’t move away. “Jason was a barely adequate leader. You shouldn’t have left.”

“Maybe not,” Dick conceded. “But it all worked out in the end.”

“Tt.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Dick talk. Decisions are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...this isn't going to be three chapters. I couldn't figure out how to finish everything in this chapter, so I've given up setting a final chapter count. We'll see where it goes.
> 
> As always, I haven't really proof-read this, so bear with me. :)

Bruce offered to take them hunting, and the excited look in Tim’s eye made it impossible for Dick to say no. Dick was tired from flying, and Jason refused to leave Dick’s side, so Bruce took Tim and Damian with him while Dick and Jason stayed behind.

As soon Bruce was out of sight, Dick shifted into his human form and snuggled up against Jason’s scales. Bad for development or not, Dick loved the way Jason’s warmth felt on his human skin. Jason curled around Dick and placed his head on Dick’s lap.

“Let me know if you hear them coming back,” Dick said. “Bruce says it’s bad for my development to be in human form too much.”

Jason snorted derisively. “Who cares what he thinks?”

“ _You_ haven’t seen his disappointed stare yet,” Dick said. “It makes me feel half my age and incredibly foolish.”

Dick let his eyes drift shut, and he relaxed against Jason, letting himself drift on the edge of sleep. Jason stayed silent. From the tension Dick could feel from Jason’s body, Dick could tell that his brother was deep in thought. That never boded well, but Dick knew better than to pry. Jason would talk when he was ready, and only then.

Finally, Jason spoke. “He didn’t hurt you, did he? After he caught you?”

“Hm?” Dick opened his eyes and stifled a yawn. “Uh…no. No, he said he wouldn’t hurt a hatchling. Not that I’m really a hatchling anymore, but he sure thinks I am.”

“Adults,” Jason grumbled. “Always like to be in charge.”

“He’s nice though. He’s just a bit…” Dick struggled to find the right word. “Just a bit overbearing. He made me eat and take breaks, even thought that meant it’d take longer to find Damian. He said that I was a temporary member of his flight, until I returned to my own flight.”

Jason puffed smoke at Dick, making Dick cough. “You’re not part of his flight,” Jason said irritably. “You’re _our_ leader.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Dick said sincerely. “When we found each other, we promised to stick together no matter what. No adult dragon will ever change that.”

“Good,” Jason said. He still sounded grumpy.

Dick gently stroked Jason’s scales. “You should give him a chance, though. He’s not as bad as most adults. _And_ he’s bringing us food.”

“He’s already won you over, and Tim looks at him with fucking stars in his eyes, like he’s some kind of hero,” Jason grumbled. “One of us should remain skeptical.”

“He’s not going to hurt us,” Dick said. “At the very least, Damian won’t let him.”

“Maybe not, but he’s going to take Damian away and kick us off his land,” Jason said.

“We’ll fly over that hill when we get to it,” Dick said.

“The hill is getting pretty damn close,” Jason said. “Where are we even going to go this time? We keep intruding on other dragons’ territory.”

“We’ll figure something out. We always do.” Dick hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

“Always the optimist,” Jason said. “You should sleep before they get back. You look tired.”

“Thanks,” Dick said dryly, but he closed his eyes again.

+++

Bruce, Tim, and Damian came back a few hours later, carrying what looked like a whole trip of goats. Dick woke up when they landed, so he didn’t have a chance to change back before Bruce spotted him.

Dick cringed under the expected look of disappointed. “You shouldn’t be in your human form,” Bruce said.

Jason wrapped himself more protectively around Dick and glared at Bruce. “He can be in whatever form he wants to be.”

Bruce seemed unperturbed by Jason’s challenge. “It isn’t healthy,” Bruce said.

Dick glanced between the two dragons. If he changed back, Jason would perceive as Dick taking Bruce’s side. But if Dick didn’t change back, then he’d be forced to endure more disappointed looks.

Tim bounded over, oblivious to the tension. “Bruce took us all over the mountain range! Look at what we brought back! Bruce said that we can’t take a whole trip of goats, since that could cause, um…”

“Prey scarcity,” Bruce filled in fondly.

“Right! Prey scarcity! So we went all around to hunt goats. I mean…Bruce did most of the hunting, but I got to watch! And he caught so much!”

“You and Damian did well,” Bruce said.

Tim practically vibrated from his excitement at the praise. Tim’s reaction did not help Jason’s mood, but Dick didn’t have the heart to restrict his little brother’s happiness. It also gave Dick an out from Jason and Bruce’s standoff.

“I’ll have to change so that I can eat,” Dick said, climbing out of Jason’s coil.

Jason didn’t look happy, but he also didn’t protest. Dick took that as a win and shifted back into his natural form.

As he ate with his brothers and Bruce, Dick couldn’t help the nagging feeling of guilt. He could never provide this for Tim and Jason. In the past, his flight rarely had the chance to eat their full as dragons, and that wouldn’t change after Bruce and Damian left.

Dick almost wanted to ask Bruce to take in Tim, so that he, at least, would have a healthier childhood than Jason and Dick. But Dick selfishly couldn’t bear to lose his little brother, and he knew that both Jason and Tim would see such a request as a betrayal.

When they finished the meal, the sun was already setting. “We should rest here tonight,” Bruce said.

His tone left no room for argument, as per usual, which provoked Jason into arguing. “ _My_ flight needs to find a cave,” Jason said.

And once again, Dick was split between Jason and Bruce. Bruce’s suggestion – decree? – made more sense, but Dick could understand Jason’s wariness.

“We don’t need a cave when Bruce is here,” Tim said, bright-eyed from hero-worship.

“Just for tonight,” Dick said.

He nuzzled Jason soothingly with his nose. Jason conceded defeat with an annoyed huff of smoke. 

With that argument settled, Dick had to face the next hurdle – sleeping arrangements. Even Damian looked conflicted. They call all fit comfortably snuggled under Bruce’s wings, but when Bruce offered, Jason snapped, “I’m not a fucking _hatchling_.”

“Language,” Dick chided gently before Bruce could.

Any scolding from Bruce would probably make Jason breathe fire. Dick didn’t want to risk it. Jason already was too tense.

In the end, Tim and Damian slept under Bruce’s wing. Dick settled next to them on the outside of Bruce’s wing, with Jason laying half on him. They were all close enough to share warmth and feel safe, without Jason being too close to Bruce.

+++

The next morning, an awkward tension hovered over the group. A good night’s sleep hadn’t improved Jason’s mood. Jason still bristled at Bruce’s every movement and word. Tim had finally caught on to Jason’s aggression and stayed back, watching the two anxiously.

Dick knew it was their last morning with Bruce and Damian. He found himself fretting over Damian with head nuzzles and wing checks. For once, Damian allowed the coddling. He seemed just as somber as Dick.

Bruce, though, didn’t seem perturbed. He tolerated Jason’s challenging glares with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He cheered Tim up with stories of his youth, growing up in the mountains near the now departed al Ghul flight. When it came to Damian and Dick, he didn’t seem to understand their melancholy and kept sending them concerned glances.

After a small breakfast, Bruce announced, “It should take about two days to get back home.”

Dick’s wings drooped. “So this good-bye then,” he said, resigned.

“Good-bye?” Bruce said.

“Yeah,” Jason said. “This is the part where you kick us out of your mountains, and we go our separate ways.”

“Why would I – oh. No, I wouldn’t kick you out. You’re welcome in my territory. In fact you should come home with us,” Bruce said.

“What?” Dick said dumbly.

“Really?” Tim said with more eagerness.

“Winter is coming soon,” Bruce said. “Our cave was built for a larger flight than just me, Damian, and Alfred.”

Alfred was the elder of Bruce’s small flight. Damian would talk about him fondly sometimes.

“What’s the catch?” Jason said.

“No catch,” Bruce said. “We would…like the company.”

Tim and Damian turned wide, hopeful eyes toward Dick. Dick squirmed under their pleading gazes.

“Yeah, no,” Jason said. “We’re fine on our own.”

Dick cut in before Bruce could say something. It would likely come across as patronizing and only add fuel to the fire. Something about hatchlings on their own or some other nonsense.

“Thank you for you offer,” Dick said. “I need to discuss with my flight before we give you our answer.”

“Of course,” Bruce said.

Dick motioned to his brothers, and they took flight, hovering high enough so that they were out of earshot from Bruce and Damian.

“We can’t go with them,” Jason said firmly.

“Why not?” Tim said with a bit of whine.

“There’s always a catch,” Jason said. “I don’t trust him. He’ll turn on us eventually.”

“You’re so paranoid, Jason,” Tim said, rolling his eyes. “Bruce is nice. I like him. Besides, Damian feels safe with him, and we trust Damian.”

“Damian’s actually part of his flight. Of course Damian’s safe with him,” Jason argued.

“I agree with Tim,” Dick said. “I trust Bruce. That doesn’t mean we should spend the winter with him, but where else are we going to go? This was our last solid hope of finding a permanent place to stay.”

“We don’t need a permanent home,” Jason said.

“My kind are naturally nomadic, but yours and Tim’s aren’t,” Dick said. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the toll it takes every time we leave a place.”

“We could try staying with Bruce and Damian,” Tim said. “We wouldn’t have to stay forever.”

“Just for the winter, Jay,” Dick coaxed. “And we can leave at any time.”

“ _Fine_ ,” Jason groused, giving in. “But if this ends badly, I get to say I told you so.”

“Deal!” Tim said. He whooped and did spin before diving back down to where Bruce and Damian were waiting.

“Even if Bruce drives me crazy,” Jason said, watching their younger brother land, “I think this’ll be good for Tim.”

“I agree,” Dick said. “Who knows? Maybe Bruce will grow on you. Damian did.”

Jason scoffed. “And maybe the dead will again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think or any thoughts/ideas! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this so far! All kudos and comments are appreciated. :)  
> (If anyone knows the dumb way I came with the title, let me know so I can feel less (more?) ridiculous at my terrible pun/metaphor behavior.)


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